2023 Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in North Carolina
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You
With 3,436 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies is the #11 most popular major in North Carolina.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor's Degree Schools in North Carolina to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 32 schools in North Carolina to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for parks and rec students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found University of North Carolina at Pembroke to be the best value school for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in North Carolina. Located in the distant town of Pembroke, UNC Pembroke is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNC Pembroke are $3,495 per year.
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Out of the 32 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNCW are $7,238 a year.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Western Carolina University is a great value for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. WCU is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WCU are $4,367 a year.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at North Carolina State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies schools in North Carolina. NC State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Raleigh.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NC State are $9,131 per year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, NC State is ranked #5 for overall quality for parks and rec in North Carolina.
Read full report on Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at North Carolina State University
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
UNC Chapel Hill undergraduate students pay an average of $9,028 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UNC Chapel Hill is ranked #4 for overall quality for parks and rec in North Carolina.
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University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. UNC Charlotte is a very large public school located in the large city of Charlotte.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNC Charlotte are $7,188 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, UNC Charlotte is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list.
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Appalachian State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies programs. Located in the town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Appalachian State are $7,410 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Appalachian State also is in the top 20% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking.
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With a ranking of #8, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on this year’s best value schools for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UNC Greensboro is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNC Greensboro are $7,468 a year.
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East Carolina University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for parks, recreation, leisure, and fitness studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ECU are $7,297 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ECU also is in the top 15% of our Best Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking.
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Winston - Salem State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure & Fitness Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, WSSU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WSSU are $6,247 a year.
Full Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies at Winston - Salem State University Report
Request InformationBest Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | 1,238 |
| Mississippi | 1,128 |
| South Carolina | 1,339 |
| Florida | 2,340 |
| Virginia | 1,729 |
| Arkansas | 1,012 |
| Alabama | 959 |
| Kentucky | 1,141 |
| Georgia | 1,981 |
| Tennessee | 2,462 |
| Louisiana | 703 |
More Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Rankings in North Carolina
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies Related Majors for Parks & Rec
Parks & Rec Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Physical Education | 67,146 |
| Recreation Administration | 3,122 |
| Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 3,106 |
| Outdoor Education | 265 |
| Other Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies | 174 |
Majors Similar to Parks & Rec
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting | 142,610 |
| Public Administration & Social Service | 98,583 |
| Legal Professions | 61,055 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 4,477 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NPS Photo/Zurbuch.
More about our data sources and methodologies.